Jewelry Blog

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The latest Make It Mine magazine is out for spring, and it seems to have a primariy green theme, which is understandable given that spring time is a time we often clean up and regroup. They are regrouping and reworking clothes, accessories, and home decor items. There is lots for the avid crafter, but for jewelry fans, you’ll want to check out the wine charm remix article. Candie Cooper recycles all kinds of old jewelry parts and pieces and creates some wonderful wine charms with them.

For those into glitz, there’s a project that shows how to attach flat-back crystals to jazz up some tired shoes.Then you’ll find more jewelry-related ideas when they show you how to stamp up a jacket and add some chain and beads to dangle from a pocket.

There are a number of other jewelry articles and design ideas in this issue along with a mixture of other crafting techniques, so it isn’t just for jewelry folks. It’s for the crafty-craft type person who may work in a number of different media. If you want to take a look at this issue on-line, they have a preview option on their web site that allows you to virtually flip through a few pages of this spring issue. Pretty cool.

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I didn’t blog initially about my Christmas, because I don’t want to come off as materialistic. Nothing more unattractive than a materialistic person.

But in reflection, given that I posted about a certain book that I REALLY wanted, it is polite and I think required that I post about one particular gift.

Not so long ago, I wrote about the Oppi Untracht book that I wanted, and was afraid to pay for. Santa Hubby apparently dropped by my blog and read that entry. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I now own a copy of Jewelry Concepts and Technology by Oppi Untracht. It is beautiful, it is glorious, and it is ginormous. Thank you Santa Hubby!

Another Christmas gift from Santa Hubby was a terrific idea. He’s prone to those once in a while, and this one is no exception. I got a digital picture frame from Santa Hubby, with the idea of putting together a slide show of my past designs and fashion shows to have on my table during my shows. I can put music to the slide show, so it’ll be a nice little bit of entertainment at my table. Again, thank you Santa Hubby!

And today, I had my own idea. This one necessitated from needing to change the photos that are currently on my website, which are the Christmas theme pictures from my Go Gilbert! magazine appearance this month. Now that Christmas is over, it’s time for new photos. My problem is I have to take my own pictures generally, and while the quality is getting better and better with practice at taking pictures and using Photoshop, I’m running out of fresh ideas. My newest idea? I bought some fantastic books of scrapbook paper today from Joann’s, and got them both at a super discount (55% total). One book is photograph themed, like a photo of cracked desert, pebbles, leaves, you get the idea. The other book is thinner, but full of Far East paper designs, which are terrific for the pale colors but interesting designs. So, if you need to add a little pizzazz to your jewelry photos without overwhelming your jewelry, try using scrapbook paper. And, even if the paper is really overwhelming, you can use layers in Photoshop to turn the background to black & white and change the opacity, which will allow your jewelry to pop. I wouldn’t use this for showing a piece in a catalog, but for an eyecatching picture on your website, it’ll be great.

Ok, that’s all for today. Take care, and if I don’t write before then, Happy New Year to you all!

Be BOLD.
Miachelle

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Take a look at these weird necklaces!  They are almost like miniature sculptures … although its not really my style I really like the way he combined the different materials … Oh and if you’re interested get them here!

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